


You Don't Get To Do This To Me

by angelskuuipo



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Assault, Character Death, Early Work, F/M, GFY, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-12
Packaged: 2018-02-04 10:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1775938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelskuuipo/pseuds/angelskuuipo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lindsey is just trying to protect Willow.  Too bad he forgot she could take care of herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Here Endeth the Lesson

**Author's Note:**

> Um, my pseudo-niece’s wedding is off and the way her twat of an ex acted inspired me. I wrote this for her to help her work some things out. This un-betaed. Any and all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Originally posted 9-25-08.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She taught him to be a better man, but now he had to forget everything he’d learned.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow stared at the phone and took a deep breath. She could do this. She could so do this. It’d been three weeks with no word. Being on opposite ends of the country wasn’t optimal for a relationship, but she thought they were doing okay. When he’d asked for time, she’d given it to him. The wedding was six months away. She had to know for certain. She looked at the ring on her left hand and picked up the receiver.

It rang and rang and she almost hung up when it was finally answered. She closed her eyes at the whiskey-rough voice on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Hey. It’s me,” she said softly.

“Yeah, got that. Caller ID is a wonderful thing.”

Willow frowned and the knot in her belly got a little bigger. “Um, I know you said you needed some time to think, but I thought you meant a couple of days, not three weeks. Talk to me, please?”

There was silence for a moment, then, “I thought the silence would have been answer enough.”

She sucked in a breath. Oh, this hurt. This hurt almost as bad as Oz leaving her without a word. But there was also anger burning underneath and it was getting brighter. “Right. I guess it does. Hell of a way to break up with your fiancée, Linds. You are so not the man I thought you were. I didn’t want to believe him, but I guess Angel was right. You’re not man enough for me and I’m sure as all damn too much woman for you. Have a nice life, Lindsey McDonald.” Willow slammed the phone down and put her head between her knees before she hurled.

She should have stuck to girls.

~*~

Across the country, Lindsey slowly closed his phone and dropped his head into his hands. He willed away the angry tears that were threatening to fall. He flinched at the cold touch to his neck and whispered viciously, “I hope you’re happy, you son of a bitch. I just gave up the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Mocking laughter ghosted across his skin and the scratch of fangs on his battered back made him shiver. “The witch will live, boy. Be happy with that.”

Lindsey’s lip curled up in a silent snarl. “And me? How much longer have I got?”

Cold lips traced his shoulder then that velvet voice murmured in his ear, “Depends on how well you please me, McDonald. Could be an hour, could be a day, could be eternity. It all depends on you.”

Lindsey let himself be lowered back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, a red haze of hatred and pain clouding his vision. He never should have gone back to Los Angeles. He never should have tried to help fight against the rise of a new Wolfram & Hart. And he certainly never should have let himself get captured by Angelus when he made his triumphant return.

He only hoped that Willow could forgive him someday. He loved her with everything he was. She’d taught him so much. Tears slipped unnoticed from his eyes as Angelus took him again. He’d learned to be a better man because of a tiny redheaded witch, but now…

Here endeth the lesson.

-30-


	2. In the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things aren’t always as they seem. And some people are more stubborn than they’re given credit for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sequel to _Here Endeth the Lesson_. I had intended that to be a one-shot, but Carla said, “Sequel?” and my mind supplied it. I guess I didn’t like leaving my favourite witch and evil lawyer like that. Title borrowed from _In the Darkness_ by Kane. This is unbeated. Any and all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Originally posted 9-25-08.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Once she’d calmed down, Willow took off her engagement ring and started to gather up everything Lindsey had ever given her. She knew she needed to call Buffy and the others to let them know she wasn’t getting married, but she couldn’t deal with their drama yet.

She was going through the office when she came across one of Lindsey’s journals. Her first thought was to destroy it, but morbid curiosity won out and she opened it.

_…It gets stronger every day, this feeling inside. I can’t really describe how she makes me feel. It’s like Willow has torn down every wall and barrier I’ve ever had and rebuilt them so that it’s not just me fighting in the darkness. She’s in there with me and doesn’t even know it._

_She’s my everything._

_If I were to lose her, I know I wouldn’t survive. I wouldn’t want to. There wouldn’t be a point. Oh, I know it’s unhealthy to be so invested in another person, but without my redheaded goddess I’m nothing but an ex-lawyer with an evil hand, floundering in my own sea of moral ambiguity. I could give a shit less what the world thinks of me as long as I have her by my side._

_That’s why I’m going to L.A. I’ve got to stop Wolfram & Hart from rising again. That kind of power is too seductive. I won’t allow myself to be pulled back in. I know I’m on their list if they ever gain a foothold in this plane again. I can’t let that happen._

_I’m not going to tell her why I’m going. Maybe it’s selfish, okay, I_ know _it’s selfish, but I want her as far away from this as possible. It’s not because I don’t think she can’t hold her own. God knows she could probably stop this thing before it starts. I need to do this for myself. I need to prove to myself once and for all that they have no power over me._

Angel said he’d put me up and not say anything to anyone. Hopefully, I’ll be home soon. I’ll finally be free of the last of my past and Willow and I will start our future together.

The journal fell from Willow’s numb hands and she sat down abruptly. She stared at the wall without seeing for a long time before she blinked and picked up the book again. She looked at the date of that last entry and saw that he’d written it the day before he left.

Willow took a few shaky breaths and willed herself to calm down. There were way too many thoughts jockeying for position in her head. The most persistent one being that she was going to throttle one Lindsey McDonald when she finally got her hands on him.

Something had to have gone wrong. She didn’t care if he’d gone to the dark side again. He’d come back from that a couple of times, just like her. She could help him do it again if need be. She even understood him wanting to do this on his own. She didn’t like it, but she understood it.

No, what had her so infuriated was that he’d tried to make her so mad that she wouldn’t even fight him. He’d almost succeeded too. Willow Rosenberg did not give up so easily and it was time her fiancé learned that once and for all.

She marched back into the living room and scooped up her engagement ring. She settled it back on her left ring finger and kissed the stone. She whispered, “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, dumbass. If you’ve gotten in over your head, I’ll get you out. Then you and me are gonna have a serious talk, mister.”

Willow snatched up the phone and started calling in reinforcements. Obviously this wasn’t a one or two-person operation. She had some research to do.

~*~

Lindsey heard the sounds of fighting, but couldn’t bring himself to move. It hurt too much. Reading about Angelus’ sadistic tendencies and experiencing them first hand were two very different things. He’d lost track of time and had no idea how long he’d been at the vampire’s tender mercies. It felt like a lifetime.

He kept a tenacious grip on the picture in his mind of Willow as he’d last seen her. His light in the darkness. They’d gone on a picnic and the sun was turning her red hair to flame and the smile on her face was so full of love and joy and life that it took his breath away. That mental image was his last link to anything resembling sanity.

The door opened behind him, but he didn’t acknowledge it. He heard a gasp and knew it wasn’t Angelus. Maybe some clueless lackey had wondered in by mistake.

“Oh, baby, what has he done to you?”

Lindsey blinked and frowned at the voice. He knew that voice and it shouldn’t be here. He forced himself not to flinch at the light touch to his shoulder. It was warm, not cold. Human.

“Lindsey, baby, can you hear me? It’s Willow. You’re safe now. No one is going to hurt you ever again. I promise.”

With an effort Lindsey opened his eyes and met Willow’s tearful gaze. Black and white swirled in her pupils and slowly bled from her hair, leaving it its normal vibrant red. His girl had used some serious power. He frowned and swallowed. Not his girl. Not anymore. He gave her up to keep her safe. Why was she here?

“You-“ His voice cracked from disuse, but he tried again, “You have to go. He’ll kill you. Please go, Willow. I can deal with this as long as I know you’re in the world.” He slumped down and closed his eyes again, those few words draining what strength he had. He was so tired.

“And who says chivalry is dead, misguided though it may be? Angelus can’t hurt me. He can’t hurt anyone ever again. Come on, baby. It’s time to go home. Well, home by way of the hospital. You’re in pretty bad shape here. And don’t think your current physical condition is going to get you out of a good talking to. Oh no, mister. We are so going to have words about why you tried to make me hate you…”

Lindsey smiled faintly as he let the wonderfully glorious sound of Willow-babble wash over him. He should have known she wouldn’t give up on him. He should have known she’d figure it out and come for him.

She was his light in the darkness. His everything.

-30-


	3. Promises Kept

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but she’d made a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabrielle wanted to know what happened to Angelus and I can deny her nothing. This is a companion piece to _In the Darkness_. Unbetaed. Any and all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Originally posted 9-25-08.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow stared down the man who wore the body of her friend. She was so tired of the revolving door on Angel’s soul. She had made him a promise the last time she’d restored it, just before the fall of Sunnydale. Now she had to decide whether or not to keep it.

“What’s the matter, Little One? Did you lose something?” Angelus taunted.

She rolled her eyes. “Almost three hundred years on this earth and that’s the best you can do? I’m disappointed, Angelus. I thought you had a silver tongue.”

He scowled then smiled maliciously. “Your boy doesn’t seem to mind. He bent over for me, pretty as you please.” He looked her over and licked his lips. “Maybe we could share.”

Willow’s eyes narrowed and her last nerve snapped. “I made a promise to your alter ego, Angelus. Do you remember?”

He took a step back before he could stop himself. The witch was even stronger than he remembered. He could feel her power throbbing in the air. Angelus tilted his chin up and said, “You don’t have the balls to kill me, little girl. Angel means too much to you.”

She nodded. “Yep. I love him like a brother, which is why I’m going to follow his wishes. I’ll miss him, but at least I know he’ll finally be at peace.”

He snarled and was on her before she could blink. Hand wrapped around her throat, he whispered, “He’ll rot in hell, same as me. I don’t think I’ll let you kill me today.”

“I don’t think you have a choice.” Willow gathered her strength and centered herself as she felt his fangs tease along her neck. She could feel a tingle in her scalp and hands and knew her hair and eyes were changing colour. She turned her head in Angelus’ grip and kissed his cheek. “Goodbye, old friend.”

He reared back and looked at her in surprise then started to scream as flames licked along his body. Willow watched with tears blurring her vision as the body of her friend turned to ash. She conjured an urn to hold the remains. She’d scatter them like Angel had asked her to do after she and Lindsey got things settled.

Willow wiped away her tears and headed for the room her fiancé was in. Her first look at Lindsey made her wish Angelus was still around so she hurt him a whole lot more than she had. Lindsey was a mess and not entirely with it. She started talking to cover up just how scared she had been and still was.

Well, this had been just about the worst day ever.

-30-


End file.
